Congress steps up attack, to launch another march

Mumbai: In the wake of the good response seen by its Jan Akrosh rally all over the state, Maharashtra Congress has decided to step up its attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government.

Senior leaders of the party met in Mumbai on Tuesday and decided to launch one more march against the government’s policies. The upcoming march will go through three regions of the state, namely North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha, and try to raise issues of various regions ahead of the state legislative session.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan, deputy chairman of state’s legislative Manikrao Thakre, opposition leader in Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and other leaders from Marathwada and Vidarbha were present for the meeting. In the meeting, it was decided a march would be carried out against the state government from Aurangabad. The rally could possibly be kicked off, on November 26, Constitution Day, from Aurangabad’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University.

For the next 17 days, Congress leaders will visit every district of Marathwada, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha. Issues regarding implementation of the loan waiver, the deteriorating state of law and order, farmer suicides and goods and services tax would be raised in rallies there. On December 13, Congress plans to hold a big rally at Nagpur during the state’s legislative session there.

“We will declare the detailed programme of our agitation very soon. This government has not just failed but has become a disaster for all. Farmers, youths, labourers and traders are facing tremendous pressure. We will raise these issues,” said Mr Vikhe-Patil after the meeting.

The Jan Akrosh agitation was launched at Ahmednagar district, the epicentre of the farmers’ unrest. Congress has received good response in every district. Party insiders believe that this has brought a smile to the face of the partymen who were having low-key programmes after facing defeat consistently in recent elections.